**********************************************WORLD-INFORMATION.ORGSTATEMENT ON THE CURRENTPOLITICAL SITUATION IN AUSTRIA**********************************************

On behalf of its Austrian carrier organisation Institute for New Culture Technologies / Public Netbase t0, World-Information.Org would like to make a clear statement about its position:

The Institute for New Culture Technologies in Vienna firmly opposes any policy leading to discrimination, defamation and intimidation.
The participation of the Freedom Party (FPOE) in the Austrian government represents a dangerous precedent for the political unity of Europe. The FPOE's inclusion in the government amounts to a political legitimisation of acts such as playing down Nazi crimes and stirring up resentment, xenophobia and sexism. It also acts to legitimise attempts of political zigzagging, refusal of dialogue, and intimidation against dissenters.

Cultural workers have repeatedly been attacked by the Freedom Party. The Institute for New Culture Technologies t0 has itself learned what it means to be an opponent of Joerg Haider when a slandering campaign against it could only be stopped by court action. The court ruling has since successfully countered his defamations.

The FPOE's inclusion in the government is a serious threat to democracy. Therefore we appeal to you to continue to critically monitor the developments in Austria, so that this unacceptable political situation can be reversed and can never become an example for others.

Isolating not only the current governmental coalition, but also those forces that resist it, would mean working into the hands of the FPOE in its efforts to undermine a critical public.
Please support us and all the others who oppose the current development and who jointly act for freedom, tolerance and democracy.

We kindly ask you to support World-Information.Org and Institute for New Culture Technologies / Public Netbase t0 by spreading this message.

Please do not hesitate to contact World-Information.Org for further information.